Super geeky tire Q...

[Andy Smitty Schmidt]

The 559 X 60mm Schwalbe Fat Franks on my Surly Big Dummy are getting close to retirement. I've never had a negative issue with their width but I'm open to going a little skinnier... or not. 

I love the Marathon Supremes on my Hilsen. I saw a tandem with 559 X 50mm Supremes over the weekend and came down with a serious case of tire lust. 

I'm considering the Dureme in 559 X 50 that Riv sells. Riv does not sell the Supreme in that width. I'm also tempted to go with the 55mm Big Apples (the standard cargo bike tire around PDX).

I would love to hear comparisons/opinions from anyone who has ridden any 2 of Supreme, Dureme, Fat Frank, or Big Apple tires in the 50-60mm width.  

Thanks, Andy

[VeloZen]

Hey Andy ... I have the 26x2 Supremes on my LHT and the same size Duremes on my Hunqapllar. Both tires are really good, by which I mean they roll well and provide an abundance of "float"-ation.   I've had the Supremes for over two years with only one flat that's still a mystery (flat the day after the ride with no indication of the cause anywhere).  I've had the Duremes for 8 months now, no flats or issues of ay kind.   Although I like both tires, my personal preference is for the Dureme.  Both are great on pavement, with great grip on either dry or wet surfaces, but the Dureme is a lot more versatile on the trails or sandy areas, where it slides less and has better bite.   The Supreme also makes an odd noise on smooth roads ... a medium-pitched hum ... but not annoying enough to worry about.   To me and my rather unhurried approach to riding, they both roll equally smooth and fast, and feel about the same.  Just better dirt/trail performance from the Dureme.

 

I've posted a review here for the Dureme, which has some comparison, as well as a link to a previous Sumpreme review :  http://velozen.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-schwalbe-marathon-dureme-tires.html

 

Hope it helps ... I'm pretty confident in Schwalbe at this point, and unlikely to buy a different brand when these tires wear out.  They do wear out eventually, don't they?  I'm starting to wonder ...

 

Scott